It hardly seems possible that August is almost half over and the summer is two thirds gone. Free books. Enter the fabulous contest offered by the Toronto Romance Writers for a chance to win novels by some famous and not so famous (ahem me for example) authors.

And what might we find if we looked out of the window in Regency England in August.

Well according to our Naturists Diary: The mountain ash, or rowan tree, now displays its bunches of red berries amid its elegant and light foliage

Interestingly enough, the wood of this tree was used to make bows in middle ages.

In the more recent past it was used for tool handles, mallet heads, bowls and platters.

Of especial interest to me, the berries are edible and used to make rowan jelly which is eaten with game I have no trouble imagining it being used this way during the Regency. So I must add it to my information on Food. Always collecting.

About the 11th of August, today please notice, the puffin migrates. I had to include that. Imagine picking one day of the year to migrate and they are such cute birds too. Not that one would have seen too much of them, even during the Regency. Their habitat is very specific.

Also making its appearance in August is: The common flax, with its pretty pale blue flowers.

Whenever something says common, one always finds something exotic. Like the common loon. Of course it doesn't mean common as in "vulgar" but common as in most frequently found. Still, I had to look up this one.

And of course it is not so common after all, a source of linseed oil and one of the earliest sources of fiber for linen, it is in fact hugely important.

That is all from me today, back to writing my next novel. Don't forget to enter the contest.